Thursday - March 06, 2014

Cork U

Donuslaved: verb A term that describes an action that cuts an opponent off from significant resources and tactical options. cf Vladmir Putin, The Ukrainian Crisis, 2014

Crimean Penninsula: On the western side of that bit of land that sticks out into the Black Sea, the one Western people with a sense of history should always think of as Sevastopol, runs the river Donuzlav. In 1961 a huge breakwater was built across the mouth of the bay, turning the river into one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. It quickly became a prime vacation spot, a wildlife sanctuary, fish farms and shellfish beds, and a perfect place for Ukraine to park its Black Sea navy. A deepwater opening in the middle of the breakwater allows capital ships to sail through, and in the past a small naval airbase guarded the gateway. The base is still there, hardly a kilometer away, runways and docks just waiting to be used.

Today, no matter what happens with the Ukraine Crisis, their navy is out of the game. Without firing a single shot, Putin effectively just sank the whole thing.

The Russian Navy Ochakov Kara-class cruiser was sunk last night to block the Ukrainian Navy ships deployed in Novoozerne, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said in a press release today.

The information was confirmed by the Ukrainian military of the South Naval Base who were observing the operation.

Yevpatoria, Ukraine: An anti-submarine boat may have been the first casualty of the Russian incursion into Crimea, but it was hardly an act of violence, much less war: The Russian navy sank one of its own, junked vessels to create an obstacle, a Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.

Ukraine Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Mazepa said Russian sailors pulled the anti-submarine vessel Ochakov out of a naval junkyard and sank it in the straits that connect the Black Sea with a body of water known as Donuzlav Lake. He said the act was intended to prevent Ukrainian navy ships from leaving a nearby base and going to sea.

As the Ukrainian-Russian rift over Crimea intensifies, a new tactic has emerged: intentionally sinking a ship to prevent Ukrainian government ships from leaving a southern port. The vessel in question, reported to be a Kara-class cruiser. Russians (or at least Russian sympathizers) towed the ship to the entrance to Donuzlav and sank it.

The act of sinking a ship on purpose is called scuttling. Navies typically do this to prevent enemies from getting their hands on the hardware. Doing it in a specific spot to create a blockade is something different—we’re going to call it ”strategic scuttling.”

No, I’m going to call it brilliant. So brilliant that it deserves to become a verb in its own right. Sure, it’s been done in the past. But as a non-violent “act of war, not really” that can stop a non-war from becoming one, while really tipping the scales for your side? I think this may be a first. Genius.

My only surprise is that they didn’t stage the thing as an accident in the middle of the night. Then he’d even have plausible deniability. “Who me? Nyet! Boatski sinksi! Is accident!” But then he’d have to make some token effort to try and remove it. No, this way is better. In your face comrades. And now everyone gets a fresh reminder of who The Man is. And it ain’t Obama.

h/t Sondra K

Posted by Drew458     on 03/06/2014 at 01:37 PM   
Filed Under: • International • Military •  
• Comments (3) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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